The 1982 Detroit Grand Prix Was Ridiculously Action-Packed

The first ever Detroit Grand Prix was held in 1982 and it turned out to be something of a race of attrition (as all the races in Detroit did). With an average lap speed slower than Monaco and the hot and bumpy surface pushing the cars and drivers to their limits, there was plenty going on.

This compilation video from the event shows a lot of the overtakes and incidents than happened during the race. Things to watch out for are Keke Rosberg’s no-nonsense interview and awesome pass for the lead, Bruno Giacomelli’s beautifully held drift, and of course, some particularly blunt commentary from James Hunt.

John Watson’s win came way down from 17th on the grid, which at the time was the lowest position from which anyone had ever won a Grand Prix.

His record only lasted for nine months though, as at Long Beach the following year Watson thrashed his own record by winning from 22nd - which is still a record. He really was the master at winning from the back!